Feeler for automatic weaving-looms.



E. M. K-IRSCHNER.

FEELER FOR AUTOMATIC WEAVING L00MS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. I916.

' Patgnted Mar. 19, 1918 Fig.1

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ERNEST MICHEL VALENTIN KIRSCHNER, OF ROUEN, FRANCE.

FEELER FOR AUTOMATIC WEAVING-LOOMS.

Application filed April 7, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST MICHEL VAL-' ENTIN KIRSOHNER, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of 80 Rue Verte, Rouen, Seine Infrieure, France, have invented a new and useful Feeler for Automatic Weaving-Looms, of which the following is a specification.

Feelers for automatic weaving looms have for their purpose, as is known, to bring about the automatic changing of the fillingcarrier or bobbin when the filling or thread wound upon the carrier or bobbin in service (that is to say upon the filling carrier in working position in the shuttle) is on the point of being exhausted or used up. As is easily understood, it is advantageous to wait, in order to effect the changing of the bobbin, for the remaining filling still wound on the active carrier or bobbin to be exhausted as far as possible. However, it is necessary to cause the change of bobbin before the remaining filling of the active bobbin is completely used up, otherwise defects in the stufi or material which is being made, will be produced.

There is already known an arrangement of mechanical feeler in which the bobbin tube is furnished with a window, groove or hollow which, at each oscillating movement of the lay of the weaving loom, locates itself opposite the point of the feeler, by reason of an arrangement for adjusting the position of the tube in the shuttle. So long as this groove in the bobbin tube is covered with filling or thread, the point of the feeler cannot enter into the interior of the tube, the feeler is pushed back, and the mechanism for automatically changing the bobbin remains inoperative. On the other hand, as soon as the groove is no longer covered by the thread, the point of the feeler can enter thereinto, the feeler comes to rest and consequently the automatic mechanism for changing the bobbin can then operate and replace the exhausted bobbin by a new one.

In accordance with the present invention, the feeler consists of a box in the interior of which are mounted several rods with points or fingers so as to be able, when one of them or several of them is or are struck or hit by the bobbin tube, to move one relatively to the other without this movement being communicated to the box of the feeler. When one of the points or fingers engages in the aperture of the bobbin tube, the one Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 89,598.

or the other points is or are pushed back to an equivalent extent and the feeler comes to rest so that the mechanism for unlatching the transferrer can operate in order to replace the exhausted bobbin.

The invention is applicable to a bobbin tube with a single aperture or groove, but it is particularly advantageous to combine it with a tube having several apertures such that when the spooling is exhausted, there will always bewhatever the position of the tube in the shuttle-at least one of these apertures opposite one at least of the points of the feeler.

The arrangement according to the invention is applicable to all automatic looms for weaving cotton, wool, flax, silk or other textiles. The annexed drawing shows, by way of example, one method of carrying out the object of the invention, applied to a Northrop loom.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the feeler arrangement (section on line 11 of Fig. Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding with Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a detail showing the feeler proper, partly in section, and on a larger scale. Fig. 1 is a plan view corresponding with Fig. 3.

A (Figs. 1 and 2) indicates the lay of the weaving loom while B is the shuttle box situated at one of the extremities of the lay. C is the shuttle in which is placed the bobbin. The tube D of the bobbin is furnished at its front portion with longitudinal apertures, grooves or hollows d.

When the shuttle C occupies its position of rest in the box B, the one or other of these hollows cl locates itself opposite a window 0 in the shuttle C and a window I) formed in the lateral wall of the box B. When the tube D is supplied with thread or filling, the recesses cl" are covered by the thread which forms the spool 6?, (shown in dot and dash lines in Figs. 1 and 2).

The feeler proper comprises a box E (see particularly Figs. 3 and 1) formed of two parts 0 assembled together by means of screws 6 Each of the parts 6 is furnished on its inner face with a semi-circular groove of U-shape. The whole of the half-circular grooves of the two parts 6 forms a circular channel 6 in the shape of a U. In the rectilinear branch portions of the channel e are engaged two rods 6 which bear at their extremities situated within the box E, upon a series or row of balls 6 located in the channel 6 The rods 6 are curved exterio'rly so as to approach one another and are ended by flattened points 6. Shoulders 6 formed upon the rods 6 limit the plunger movement of the rods 6 into the box E. Lastly, the box E is furnished with a cenrtal window 6 the purpose of which will beexplained later.

The feeler proper is mounted inside a guideway F fixed upon a stationary part G of the framework ofthe loom (see in particular Fig. 1). Upon a plane surface formed upon the rounded rear portion of the box E, there bears constantly a plate or disk 7 under the action of a spring f em bracing the rod f which is fast to said plate or disk: this rod f passes freely through the rear face .of the guideway F; the spring 7" abuts, on the other hand, against the plate f and also against the rear face of this guideway F and thus tends always to push back the box E in the direction of the arrow X (Fig. 1). Flanges or stops f formed at the front face of the guideway F limit the movement of the feeler in this direction. The box E is fast with a tube H which is bent or elbowed twice at right angles. One of the ends of the tube H passes through the window 6 of the box E and is fastened by means of nuts h 72, which hold the box E against a collar k provided upon the tube H. The collar 70, and the nut h act as guides within windows f formed in the side walls of the guideway F. The-end of the rod H acts upon the lever J which acts in its turn accordin to any one of the known methods upon the unlatching mechanism (not shown) causing to fall out of the magazine and into the shuttle the carriers or bobbins. The lever J comes into action only when the feeler is at rest. 7 r

In accordance with this invention, the interior separation or width apart of the points 6 of the feeler, is greater than the width of the solid parts of the tube D, that is to say of the portions lof material between the hollows or grooves (Z; moreover, the external separation of the points a (that is to say their interior separation, increased. by the two thicknesses of these points) is less than the width of the apertures d.

The working of the arrangement is the following: At each movement of oscillation of the lay A, the shuttle O comes near the feeler, the points 6 of which pass through the apertures 72 and 0" of the shuttle-box B and of the shuttle C, and bear against the filling-carrier or bobbin D, opposite the grooves or apertures d of the latter. So long as these grooves or apertures (Z are covered by the filling or thread, the two points are simultaneously pushed back and the feeler E moves back into the guideway F in the oppositedirection to the arrow X, compressing the spring f in this movement the tube H carries alon the lever J which locks the u a o unlatchmg mechanism of the transferring devlce.

thread, one of two things will happen. Either a solid part of the tube locates itself between the two points 6 in which case the latter enter at the same time into two neighboring apertures d. Or, a solid portion of the tube contacts with one of these points 6 which is pushed back, while the other point e of the feeler freely enters into the interior of an aperture 0! to a correspond.- ing extent (Fig 1). Obviously if one of the apertures (Z. comes squarely in front of the window 0 6, both rods '6 enter the recess. In each case the feeler remains mo tionless as also the lever J during the oscillation of the lay A, and the unlatching mechanism of the transferring device can operate.

This transferrer is in general arranged at the other extremity of the lay relatively to On the other hand, as soon as the apertures d are no lon 'er covered by the the feeler. The Winding of the bobbin must,

therefore, be regulated in such a way that when the hollows or apertures 68 are no longer covered by the thread, there remains enough thread upon the tube D to allow the tube to pass once more through the length or piece of material'which is being made. As will be seen, the remaining thread lost when the bobbin is changed can be reduced to as little as possible. I p V The bobbin tube might be furnished with only a single groove or aperture, but inthis case it would be necessary to utilize the known adjustment arrangement enabling this groove or aperture to be brought, at the time of replacing the exhausted bobbin, opposite the apertures or passages b and 0 in the shuttle box and the shuttle.

Obviously the number of points to the feeler may be modified as wellfas the manner of effecting the movement of the points relatively one to the other. 'For example, one might replace the ball transmission by a hydraulic transmission, an oil system or the like; the rod or rods struck and pushed back by the bobbin tube at the time of the oscil lating movement of the lay would force back the liquid arranged interiorly of the box of the feeler,which action would cause of feeler rods and means for' pressin the" same against the bobbin core, said r0 s being so spaced with relation to the recesses in the bobbin core that both or either may enter a single recess or each an adjacent recess therein together with interconnecting means between said rods for displacing the same in opposite directions when one is in position to enter a recess in the bobb in core and the other is opposed by interspace between said recesses.

2. For use in connection with a bobbin having a core provided with a series of circumferentially spaced recesses, an automatic weft replenishing loom feeler having a pair of feeler rods and means for pressing the same against the bobbin core, said rods being so spaced with relation to the recesses in the bobbin core that both or either may enter a single recess or each an adjacent recess therein, a carrier for said rods, said carrier having guide ways for the rods and a curved way communicating with the ends of said guide ways and flexible means in said communicating loop extending between the inner ends of said teeler rods and serving to communicate motion from one to the other without affecting the position of the carrier for the purpose described.

3. For use in connection with a bobbin having a core provided with a series of circumferentially spaced recesses, an automatic weft replenishing loom feeler having a pair of teeler rods and means for pressing the same against the bobbin core, said rods being so spaced with relation to the recesses in the bobbin core that both or either may enter a single recess or each an adjacent recess therein, a carrier for said rods, said carrier having guide ways for the rods and a curved way communicating with the ends of said guide ways and a series of balls in said communicating way extending between the inner ends of said i'eeler rods and serving to communicate motion from one to the other without affecting the position of the carrier for the purpose described.

l. For use in connection with a bobbin having a core provided with a series of circumferentially spaced recesses, an automatic weft replenishing loom teeler having a pair or feeler rods and means for pressing the same against the bobbin core, said rods being so spaced with relation to the recesses in the bobbin core that both or either may enter single recess or each an adjacent recess therein together with interconnecting means betwee said rods for displacing the same in opposite directions when one is in position to enter a recess in the bobbin core and the other is opposed by an interspace between said ecesses, a displaceable carrier in which said rods are slidably mounted to permit their relative displacement without moving said carrier when only one rod is ,i egister with a recess in the bobbin core,

a control device in the weft replenishing mechanism and an operative connection between said device and the teeler rod carrier.

For use in connection With bobbins having a core provided with a series of circumferentially spaced recesses in substantially the same transverse plane, an automatic weft replenishing loom feeler comprising a pair of relatively displaceable feeler rods arranged substantially at right angles to the axis of the bobbin to cooperate with the recessed end of the latter, the distance between the adjacent faces of the said rod ends being greater than the inter space between adjacent recesses in the bobbin end and the distance between the remote faces of said rod ends being less than the width of arecess in the bob-bin core, a carrier-adapted to be bodily displaced by the joint action of said rods but in which said rods are slidably mounted, and interconnecting means between said rods to cause one to advance wnile the other retracts when only one of said rod ends registers with a recess in the bobbin core, whereby said carrier remains quiescent, substantially as described.

6. For use in connection with bobbins having a core provided with a series of circumierentially spaced recesses in substantially the same transverse plane, an automatic weft replenishing loom :teeler com prising a pair of relatively displaceable i'eeler rods arranged substantially at right angles to the axis o1 the bobbin to cooperate with the recessed end of the latter, the distance between the adjacent faces of the said rod ends being greater than the interspace bet veen adjacent recesses in the bobbin end and the distance between the remote faces of said rod ends being less than the width or a recess in the bobbin core, a carrier adapted to be bodily displaced by the joint action of said rods, but in which said rods are slidably nounted, and interconnecting means between said rods to cause one to advance while the other retracts when only one of said rod ends registers with a recess in the bobbin core, whereby said carrier remains quiescent, substantially as described, together with a control device in the weft replenishing mechanism and an operative connection between said device and the ieeler rod carrier.

7. For use in connection with a bobbin having a core provided with a series of circumierentialiy spaced recesses, an automatic weft replenishing loom i'eeler having a group of feeler rods and means for pressing the same against the bobbin core at the recessed area-thereof, a carrier for said rods, nd means communicating the movement of certain of said rods in one direction to certain other or" said rods in the opposite direction without displacing said carrier, the rods of said group being spaced apart a greater distance than the recesses in the bobbin core to permit their simultaneous entry into adjacent recesses, but having an overall diameter for the rod group which is less than the diameter of one of said recesses in the bobbin core so as to permit the V rods of the group to simultaneously enter at single recess, together with a control device in the Weft replenlshlng mechanism and an operative connection between said 10 device and the feeler rod carrier. In testimony whereof I have signed my nenie to this specification 'in the presence 1 of two subscribing Witnesses.

ERNEST MICHEL VALENTIN KIRSCHNER. Witnesses EDOUARD KIRSOHNE'R, MAURICE DAUJON.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents.

Washington, D. C. V 

